Bottle Full of Rain
The bay was filled with fog as Brooke walked slowly down the worn trail to the high cliffs over looking the water. She lifted her eyes, as gray as the sky, to the heavens, then looked down at an object clutched in her hand. Lifting one hand to her heart, she used the other to wipe a silent tear from her eye. As she reached the precipice, she released the treasure from her grasp.
The waves swelled and crashed against the worn, slippery rocks below. Brooke’s gift to the sea sailed in a high arch, then splashed noiselessly into the dark, churning water.
Breaking into a run, Brooke fled from the cliffs and back into the forest. Tripping over an uprooted log, Brooke fell to her knees. There she stayed for quite some time.
"Why, oh why?" she cried into the nearly silent darkness.
More hot tears streamed down her flushed cheeks when her ears heard no reply. Making her perfect small hands into clenched fists, she beat the soft bed of needles and leaves into the wet dirt.
Eventually, Brooke stood up and wiped her hands on her skirt. She left the trails of tears on her cheeks as a reminder of the pain she had finally managed to push down deep into her heart. Taking a deep, insecure breath, she made an attempt to calm her exploding heart. She took one step after another into the unlit forest, disappearing quickly into the darkness.
Sharp stones and shells attempted to penetrate Sienna’s sandals as she walked down the deserted beach. Her eyes slowly scanned the horizon for any sign of another human being. After seeing no one, Sienna bent over and undid her sandals. Walking slowly towards the ocean in bare feet, Sienna slowly shed the rest of her clothing as though she were shedding her skin like a snake. Before long the waves were washing over Sienna’s feet. Her perfectly painted bright orange toenails stood out in stark contrast to the gray of the early morning. Sienna’s waist length light blonde, corn silk hair swung easily around her petite waist. Just as the sun was breaking through the bleak clouds over head, Sienna rose her arms above her head and dove into the crashing waves. She disappeared under the slate coloured water.
"Sienna! Sienna where are you!" a voice called out over the bay. The voice may have reached Sienna’s ears if the wind had not suddenly thrown itself at the cliffs, carrying the voice off into the distance.
When Sienna did finally surface and retrace her steps back to shore, the sun had chased most of the clouds away. She pulled her gauze white dress over her head, smiling to herself. It was her sixteenth birthday, and this morning had been a gift to herself. Just thinking of how free she’d felt in the forbidding ocean took her breath away. Carrying her sandals, Sienna began running across the coarse sand back to the stairs that led up the cliffs.
Sienna stopped abruptly when the sunlight glinted off an object lying in the sand. As if she had been suddenly hypnotized, Sienna turned and walked slowly towards the object. She knelt down next to the object to inspect it. Sienna stood and held the sea worn bottle to the sun. The shadow of something was visible inside the bottle.
Slipping the bottle into the pocket of her dress, Sienna continued down the beach, suddenly aware of the impending time. Her family would soon be awake. Reaching the worn wooden front porch, Sienna sat on the old creaking rocking chair. A smile of satisfaction crept onto her face. Suddenly remembering the old bottle, Sienna reached into the folds of her skirt and held the bottle to the sunlight once more. Excitedly, she pulled at the old cork. She pulled and pulled, until finally it broke free of its age-old cell. Reaching in, Sienna pulled out some brittle, yellowed paper from the green bottle.
There were several sheets inside, each containing elegant, scrolling script. Squinting to make it out, Sienna read slowly from the first sheet of paper.
To My Love,
I pray you find this. Ever since you left, I have thought of nothing else. Every thought I think is of you. If one had asked me yesterday how it felt to have a broken heart, I would not have had an honest answer. I could not have fathomed how terrible it is. When I awoke this morning to find you gone, it felt as though my heart had been ripped from me. Your hasty note did nothing to calm me. Why did you not tell me you wanted to go to America? I would have gladly accompanied you. I would do anything to be with you my dear. But now I have lost you. I do not know where to look. I can’t imagine where to begin looking. I fear that I will never love again. You, Brooke, were my true love. I can still feel you here with me. I can still smell you. It only makes me miss you more. Do you not realize how much I love you? Your bed was still warm when I went to it. It maddens me that I missed you by so little time. Would I have been able to stop you? Could I have said anything to change your mind? You were always such a strong, free spirit. I can only hope that one day you’ll come back to me. Until that day I will be missing you, longing for you.
Love for Eternity
Jeremiah
The porch door banged open and Sienna’s mother, Laura, stepped out in the cool morning air. Blinking tears from her eyes, Sienna hid the smooth bottle between the folds of her dress again. She didn’t want anyone to know about her discovery, at least not yet. Looking up, she smiled sweetly at her mother.
"Come inside Sienna, it’s freezing out here," Laura exclaimed.
"It’s not that bad once you get used to it," Sienna replied, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
Laura looked at Sienna suspiciously, "Why is your hair wet? Did you go swimming already today?"
When all Laura received in return was a coy smile, she ruffled Sienna’s hair fondly and said, "Your birthday breakfast is almost ready. You might want to put something warmer on before you come to eat, you look at little chilly."
Sienna stood slowly as the door banged closed behind her mom. As she walked across the porch to the door, the old boards groaned under her feet.